Search - Lee Holdridge :: Jonathan Livingston Seagull: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

David W. from LINCOLN, NE
Reviewed on 2/12/2012...

In my opinion this is Neil Diamonds greatest CD. I love this soundtrack. The movie is for people with open minds and hearts. Soul soothing music.

0 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Kendra M. (KendraM) from NASHVILLE, TN
Reviewed on 3/1/2008...

This is an beautiful soundtrack written by Neil Diamond. Whether you are a fan of Neil Diamond or not, you will appreciate this cd. The book which this film was based was very popular in the 70s and was written by Richard Bach. Now, some people LOVED this book-- full of poetic and "profound" statements about life. On the other hand, others found Richard Bach to be quite like Mitch Albom or one of these other authors of this genre and found the book to be pretentious moralizing.

The film, though, was even worse than the book (although people LOVE it-- look on Amazon at all the positive reviews!). Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a seagull! And, the movie is full of gorgeous scenery but really trite and cliched lessons about life and "transcendence" (this was the 70s).

However, the music is something else altogether. The music is wonderful. So, if you are one of the people who have fond memories of the book or movie, you would enjoy the soundtrack. If you don't have fond memories of the book or movie, you would STILL enjoy the soundtrack-- it's just great. We were actually listening it the other day and my 4 year old daughter (who knows nothing of this soundtrack) started flapping her arms and pretending she was a bird and said that the music made her feel like flying.

Well, I realize that in itself isn't much of a recommendation because maybe you don't WANT to feel like flying. But, whether you do or don't, you really would enjoy the sweeping crescendos and luscious orchestration. It's a great piece of music.

2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

A very good movie, on several different layers

Robert Hess | Lake Forest Park, WA USA | 06/03/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It is of course important to mention first off that this is not your standard movie. For a movie going audience conditioned by such spectaculars as Harry Potter, Titanic, Star Wars, and Spider-Man, it would be hard to imagine exactly how this would play out in the theaters today (as I recall, it didn't fair to well back in 1973 either).All of this doesn't mean this isn't a -good- movie. It contains a lot of sweeping ocean scenery, with of course lots of wonderful footage of seagulls. It also has the great score by Neil Diamond, and then woven throughout this is the original story by Richard Bach. And it is perhaps in that order that this movie exists. It is a relaxing, calming, as well as uplifting (on a very subtle scale) experience. To watch it with the same rapt attention that you might a modern "spectacular", you would no doubt be quickly disappointed and bored. Instead, it should be watched at a time when you just want to relax, no pressing chores calling your name, and no interruptions that you might need to deal with. You might think of this as the closest thing to a full-body massage for the mind, encapsulated in a hour and a half movie.One caveat however, is that I would recommend that you read the book first, because there are times when exactly what is going on with the seagulls is a little confusing, and difficult to figure out from what happens on-screen.While I doubt it will ever happen, I would love for this to be released on DVD, it would greatly improve the quality of the video and soundtrack (both copies I've seen of this movie have had an mildly distracting "tracking" problem which results in pops and crackles in the audio), and it would perhaps also allow supplimentary audio tracks with discussions from Richard Bach, Neil Diamond, and perhaps others associated with this film (Hall Barlett, the director died in 1993)."

Still a star album after 28 years.

ch0pper | SOUTHAMPTON, Hampshire United Kingdom | 10/27/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My brother introduced me to this record just after it was first released some 28 years ago. I can remember the occasion as if it were yesterday. I was sleeping late on a Saturday morning and I was awakened by music echoing through the house. Music that was haunting, expressive, flowing. Words that were insightful, thoughtful, introspective and, most of all, moving.Eventually, I got up and went downstairs to find out what I had been listening to, and I discovered that it was Jonathan Livingstone Seagull by Neil Diamond. Well, I was captivated; truly, deeply captivated. I'd rarely heard such rich, wonderfully expressive modern music before. Yes, I knew of Neil Diamond, but this record made me see and hear him in a new light.I bought the album and wore it out after many playings over many years. I've seen the film so many times I've lost count, but one thing still gives me shivers as I watch it is the combination of absolutely superb photography matched to the superlative soundtrack. I cannot understand how, in Britain at least, this film got relegated to art-house status and didn't get the wide release it dererves.Even today (now I have the CD) I find that in troubled times I can darken my lounge, lie back in my favourite chair, listen to this music and feel my worries subside. It is so relaxing."